Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
The present invention relates to systems for mounting batteries in motor vehicles and particularly battery mounting systems for passenger cars and light trucks wherein the battery is typically mounted in the engine compartment over a wheel fender well and consequently is subject to heat radiation from the engine and under hood ambient conditions. Heretofore, it has been common practice, particularly in passenger cars, to provide a battery tray mounted on the side wall of the engine compartment, often from the fender structure and to provide hold down clamps at the base of the battery which attach to the tray or clamping bars across the top of the battery with bolts extending downwardly to the battery tray for retaining the battery securely in the tray.
However, recent changes in vehicle body designs to increase the aerodynamic efficiency of the vehicle have resulted in lower hood and fender lines with resultant reduction in space in the engine compartment for the engine and accessory components including the battery. This has resulted in the battery being spaced more closely to engine components operating at elevated temperatures and has resulted in prohibitively high temperatures for the battery resulting in hazards of fire where lead-acid type storage batteries are utilized.
Also, in recent designs for automotive battery installation, it has become desirable to provide covers for the battery electrodes or connector terminals in order to prevent inadvertent short circuiting with tools or implements during access to the engine compartment during maintenance and service operations, and to thus prevent hazardous conditions during such operations.
Therefore, it has been desired to provide a way or means of easily covering the battery and providing a heat shield along the side of the battery and to provide for air circulation around the battery to prevent a prohibitive rise in the temperature of the battery during vehicle engine operation. It has further been desired to provide a way or means of providing such cover, heat shield and air circulation in a manner which is not prohibitive in cost for high volume mass production and which is simple and easy to install during vehicle manufacture.
The present invention provides a solution to the problem of covering, heat shielding and securing a motor vehicle battery and provides for air circulation over the battery in a manner which is cost effective and easy to install during manufacture of the motor vehicle.
The present invention provides a battery mounting tray construction which has channels along a side thereof which communicate with air circulation ports through the base of the tray permitting air flow upwardly therealong for communication with an airflow channel in the battery cover to provide circulation over the top of the battery. The battery cover has formed integrally therewith a heat shield which extends downwardly over the side of the battery and has a mounting portion provided at the lower edge thereof which is adapted to be wedged against a groove in the battery when the mounting portion is fastened to the battery tray for securing the battery to the tray. The one-piece battery cover and heat shield has also provided and preferably formed integrally therewith a pair of battery terminal cover pieces which are attached to the battery cover by flexible strips comprising xe2x80x9clivingxe2x80x9d hinges which enable the covers to be positioned over the battery electrodes or terminals after installation of the cover/heat shield, with the living hinges recessed below the top surface of the battery cover.
The present invention thus provides a unique and novel solution to the problem of providing a battery cover, a heat shield as a one piece member which has a mounting portion integral therewith which also serves to wedge the battery into the tray for secure mounting. Battery electrode caps are provided attached by xe2x80x9clivingxe2x80x9d hinges and preferably integrally formed as one piece with the combination cover/heat shield.